Improvement in lyres



C. KUNKBL. Lyre.

No. 222,188. Patented Dec. 2, 1879.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE CHARLES KUNKEL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN LYRES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 222,138, (lated December 2, IS7-9; application filed January 29, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, CHARLES KUNKEL, of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in the Lyre-a musical instrument 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine, reference being had to the accom pan yin g drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this speci lisation.

My object in this invention is to improve upon the ancient lyre--a stringed instrument of music-first, as regards its form and construction, thereby obtaining a cont-inuous string-bridge; second, by the overlapping of portions of the continuous bridge, as above, to form upon a sounding-board lips upon which to place the pillow-wires, and thereby gain full sonority froin the unbroken communication existing between the strings and the said sounding-box as to vibratory transmission of sounds 5 third, to lessen the difficulties attending the timing of such an instrument, by providing a basis for correcting, modifying, and forming the tones of the first octave from the second string, G, thereby establishing the teniperarnent ofthe instrument; fourth, to relieve the sounding-box of the strain and tendency to warp caused by the tension of the strings, by interposin g a centered post as an ell'ectivc auxiliary supporter, the entire frame to have but six pieces of wood.

My invention essentially consists in the formation of a harp-shaped frame, which is principally composed of three pieces-to wit, the key and anchor pieces, which, when framed, form a continuous bridge, and the said supporting-post. Unlike a harp, my instrument has a sounding-box. Along the inside edge of said key and anchor pieces, to prepare a restfor the said sounding-board, there is sunk a groove, into which the ends of the said sounding-board are inserted and firmly secured. The said pieces of the frame are accurately arch-jointed together and with the post A, which is accurately placed, so as to have its vertical center to coincide with the stringstrain of the instrument when tuned. l/Vhen the said sounding-board is in the grooves, enough of said key and anchor pieces overlap the souinling-board to form au excellent continuous bridge and resonator, over which the strings are stretched, and into the receding' parts of which the pegs and tuning-keys are inserted. The back board of the said soundingbox extends entirely over the two closed sides of the triangular ligure which the said frame forms. Shoulders are cut on the two free ends of the said frame, to forni a counter-shouldered seat for the post A, and the narrow strip A is cut off from the cover c and the piece of wood E, which forni the third side of the sounding-box e. This cut-away serves to prevent any deadening of the tone emitted from the said sounding-box through contact and the stiffness of the said post A. rlhis neatlyturned post is at both ends lap-shouldered by gaining, and caused to tit'and rest on the counter-shoulder G G of the said bridge ends, composed of the anchor and key pieces. It rests, also, for several inches, on the top of the said souinling-board, as shown by dotted lines A2, to which it is firmly glued. rlhe said post performs an important function, it being nearly the sole supporter of the strain upon the bridge-pieces B B when the strings F are in tension, the sounding-box not having capacity therefor. It also forms a rest for the arin of the performer.

ln the top of the sounding-board c is an opening for the emission of sound from the box. Into the anchor-piece B, which with the semi bridge-piece B has the arch key-joint b, the pegs for the strings are inserted in the bench formed in the rear of the lower bridge. .In like inanner the tuning-pins a are held on a similar bench on the upper one. Over both halves of said bridge the pillow-wires D are laid, to prevent the iii-cutting of the strained wires.

rlhe overlapping, above the groove E, of a lip from the bridge-pieces B B is very effective in communicating perfectly to the soundingboard the vibratory waves from the strings over the bridge, on account, mainly, ot' its continuity. Since the fullness and clearness of the tone of the instrument ldependj, upon the homogeneity or solidity in the bond between the bridge andthe sounding-board, the connection together of these parts requires to be very perfect.

To aid in the tuningfofhthe strings I have introduced a very effective mechanical device. Between the first string, D, and second string, G, are arranged the frets b', which range from 2 to S on the diatonic scale H.

When the desired tone of the second strin g,G, is established by means of the pitch-fork, or in any other manner, if, then, the wedge-shaped block I, which is deeper through than the vspace between the lines, be placed between the first string, D, and second string, G, with the broad side against the iirst string, D, and its points upon the lower bf, the tone of said second string, G. is the pitch for the next string above, the third string, A.

rIhe removal of the wedge successivelyon each fret to upper 7)', and corresponding tuning, gives the correct pitch to the first eight strings, and this establishes the tennierament of the instrument, to which the remaining strings are now tuned in octaves. The said scale II herein manifests its value to learners and other performers.

The leading essential elements constituting' my invention are the continuous bridge, which forms two sides of the instrument, the overlapping continuons lip It upon the sounding-board c', the arrangement of the post A to relieve the sounding-box ofthe strain of the strings, the groove Il, to accomplish the vibratory transmission. of sound as set forth, and, lastly, the arrange-nient ot' parts for adjusting correctly from once-established tone-data the subsequent seven tones by means of the wedgeblock and tuning-key.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters indicate corresponding parts, Figure l is a face view of the instrument. Fig. 2 is a section from X to X, showing the sounding-board as supported by the props c c, the solid pieces which constitute two sides, the key and the peg-benches, and the bridge of the instrument. Figure 3 is a cross-section of the same from X to X, and shows the coincidence of the plane of the strings with the center of the said supporter-post.

On the general face-plan, Fig. 1, A is the supporter-post, and is slightly over one-third gain-lapped at thejoints G and G into corresponding gains in the ends ot' the bridgepieces B I3. The post-lap shown at A2 rests as well upon the souiuling-board and the piece E', which forms the third side, and which is partly cut out to form the open space A. In

vthe bench d in said bridge-tueries I3 B are inserted the anchor-pegs c and the tuning-pins a.

b is the key-joint in the arch formed by the junction ofthe said pieces B 3.

b are frets upon the said sounding-board, which are to indicate a position wherefrom, when the wedge-block I is placed thereon, and pressing the second string, which is G-major, all the strings from number 3 to number' 9, one octave, can be accurately tuned.

c are the anchor-pegs to the seventeen strin F, which, when stretched over the upper and lower pillow-wires, D, on the said bridge, are

then to be attached to the tuning-pins (l, and the proper tension imparted by turning the said pins with a key.

c is the sounding-board, and d the soundhole therein.

c2 is the back of the said sounding-box c.

c c indicate the position of the supportingprops in the interior of the said sounding-box.

F are the seventeen strings required to compass the said scale II.

E is the groove, which passes around inside of the said solid frame-pieces, into which the sounding-board is inserted and secured, while the lip it is caused to extend inward over the same to produce the resonance set forth.

On the top of the said soundin g-boa-rd I place the diatonic scale of eight sounds with seven intervals, of which two arehalf-tones and tive are whole tones; also, the numbers of the same serving to express the letter' and number' of each wire.

rIhe scale of this dimension is G-majonwhich is the key best adapted vto the generality of voices, and best conforms thereto as an accompaniment. To best suit this instrument, the peculiar scale of these notes is represented by commencing with the dominant and leaving out E and Fj, and proceeding from G upward.

IIa-ving thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In the musicalv instrument herein described, the string-bridge consisting of the key and anchor pieces B B', grooved to receive thelends ofthe sound-board c', and havin g the overlapping-lip 7l, the slopes and benches, and the pillow-wires I), all arranged as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The key and anchor pieces Il I3', -formed with the key and peg-bench, and having the laps G G to receive thel counter-lap of the post A, constructed and arranged as described, whereby the longitudinal axis of the post is coincident with the plane ot' the strings of the instrument, substantially as set forth.

In a lyre, having a sounding-box, the lip 71 extending from the string-bridge and overlapping the setuid-board, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

et. A lyre, having upon its somiding-board the frets b and diatonic scale II, in connection with the wedge-block I, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The improved lyre, consisting of the post A, the bridge B li, with groove E, lip l1, pillow-wire D, and bench i', the sound-box c with frets D and diatonic scale Il, all combined and arranged as described, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own invention I affix my signature in presence ot' two witnesses.

CHARLES KUNKEL.

Yiiitnesses:

PAUL Wrr'rnumane, W. THOMSON. 

